"You still think I'm useless, a disgrace to you as a sister, and a burden?"
Hearing the grievance in her voice, tinged with a hint of tears, Zhan Beijue realized he had been a bit harsh that evening.
He softened his tone and looked at her.
"Did I ever say you were a burden to me?"
"Then what do you mean now?"
"You know very well, Min'er, Ke Teng is not a good person. He wouldn't approach you for no reason. You shouldn't be so close to him."
"But he's my boss, what else can I do?"
"I've told you many times. If you encounter problems, you can always come to me."
"You're a smart person. As soon as Ke Teng got close to you, you should have known he wanted to use you. Why did you deliberately fall into his trap?"
Min'er hit the nail on the head, and her guilt made her unable to cry anymore.
"I didn't deliberately fall into his trap. I don't know what you mean."
Playing dumb was pointless.
Zhan Beijue turned his gaze away, mustering his patience.
"Listen to me, forget that meager salary. I'll find a school for you, and you can go study. Don't have any more contact with Ke Teng from now on."
She couldn't match Zhan Beijue and was completely overwhelmed by his domineering nature.
Unsatisfied, she wouldn't give up easily and was silent for a few seconds.
"You still say you don't see me as a burden. Without even the freedom to choose my own job, you just think I'm useless and an inconvenience to you."
"I shouldn't have come to Nancheng."
They had been going in circles for a long time.
His attitude was clear. Since Min'er insisted on saying this, Zhan Beijue could do nothing.
He could only resort to his most practiced domineering arrogance and look at her coldly.
"I'm telling you one last time, I don't mean that."
"Don't say any more nonsense. All you need to answer me now is one question."
"Do you see me as your brother or not? Do you want to listen to me?"
He kept saying the word "brother," and Min'er knew it was to draw a clear line between them.
Ke Teng naively thought she could break up their marriage, truly overestimating her.
It was so ironic.
Just over two months ago in Switzerland, they were still relying on each other, sharing everything, the closest people in the world.
In the blink of an eye, they had become this estranged.
Her fantasies were completely shattered.
She suddenly felt lost, unsure of the meaning of her staying in Nancheng.
Where should she go in this vast world?
Thinking of her father, her mother, and her own ephemeral future, tears began to fall uncontrollably.
She no longer wanted to hide her feelings.
Just like in Switzerland, Min'er looked back at Zhan Beijue with neither subservience nor arrogance.
"I'll listen to you, I'll listen to anything you say. Even if you told me to die, I wouldn't complain, but not in this kind of relationship."
"A Shen, I don't want to be your sister. I want to be by your side."
"Even without a title, even if I can only stay by your side in the shadows, I'm willing."
"Besides my mom and you, I have no one else to care about in the world. If you insist on pushing me away, then I really don't know what the meaning of my life is."
Zhan Beijue had a headache.
He regretted his promise in Switzerland to protect her as her man.
Regardless, he was responsible for Min'er's emotional confusion today.
"Don't say that, Min'er. I'm not worth you doing this for."
"I have a wife and children now. Even if you don't want a title..."
"You are young, beautiful, and deserve someone who loves you wholeheartedly."
"There are many fine young men in Nancheng. If you wish, I will do my best to..."
"Stop the car!" Min'er suddenly lost control and frantically pulled at the door handle.
"Don't say anymore! Stop the car! Let me out!"
The driver was startled and quickly looked to Zhan Beijue in the rearview mirror for instructions.
"Open the door, open the door, I want to get out!"
Zhan Beijue tried to calm her down.
"Don't get agitated, let me finish what I was saying."
"I won't listen! I won't listen! You know very well this is not what I want to hear!"
Tears streamed down her face, and she flailed wildly, preventing Zhan Beijue from getting close.
"Is it wrong to love someone, Zhan Beijue, tell me!"
"I just love you. I haven't done anything heinous. Why do you look down on me so much, thinking you can arrange my life as you please?"
"Get lost! I won't bother you anymore! You don't need to act like a good samaritan!"
"Go back and live your life properly! Whoever looks for me again from now on is a dog!"
"Even if I, Shen Min'er, freeze or starve to death on the road, I don't need you to spare a glance! We are severed!"
"Stop the car! Open the door! If you don't stop, I'll smash the window!"
She had cornered herself, her emotions in an uproarable state, unable to listen to anything.
Zhan Beijue knew that at times like these, further words were futile.
He could only wait for her emotions to stabilize and proceed slowly...
"Stop the car. Let her out."
Min'er got out of the car in her agitated state.
She then hailed a taxi by the roadside and sped away.
Zhan Beijue escorted her from behind, watching her enter her building before turning to leave.
Returning home, he felt exhausted, both physically and mentally.
Jiang Nan Fang was in the lower bunk of the children's room, lying with her two daughters, telling them a story.
The door was suddenly pushed open, and Zhan Beijue appeared in the doorway.
The children, dressed in their pajamas, instantly became excited and stood up together.
"Daddy, you're back!"
Zhan Beijue entered, hugging and kissing each child before tucking them back into their beds.
He then lay down beside Jiang Nan Fang, resting his head on her lap.
"What story are you telling?"
Jing Yu peeked down from the upper bunk.
"We've already read all the stories in the book ourselves. Now Mom is telling original stories."
"Yesterday was a princess diary tailor-made for Ge'er, and today it's Sweetie's turn, her adventure story. Her name is Jiang Jing Tian."
"Oh? Is it good?"
Everyone replied in unison.
"It's good! Daddy, come listen too!"
Jiang Nan Fang had a difficult time having to tailor stories according to their wishes.
Zhan Beijue lifted his head, pouted, and asked for a kiss.
He held Jiang Nan Fang's hand and squeezed it back and forth.
"You've worked hard, my wife. Working during the day and entertaining a bunch of little rascals at night."
Sensing his fatigue, Jiang Nan Fang took her hand out of his and gently massaged his temples.
"It's not hard. They're my own children. Making them happy makes me happy too."
"Why are they still called Jiang Jing Tian? Ah Zhong is gone, and you don't have a capable assistant by your side. You should have changed their names long ago."
"Since you have some free time now, why don't I have Zhou Jin Bei handle it tomorrow?"
Speaking of this, Jiang Nan Fang had her own thoughts.
"Can we not change them?"
"I'm used to them having my surname. It feels a bit awkward to change it all of a sudden."
"Who says they all have to have your surname? Two with yours, two with mine, it's fair. Isn't it good to keep it this way?"
It turned out Jiang Nan Fang had deliberately delayed the name change.
Zhan Beijue chuckled.
"So that's what you were thinking. You should have said so earlier. As long as you're happy, anything is fine."